Gaume Jazz Festival : Black Lives "People of Earth"

A show full of surprises, with an energy that ignites the audience and two new voices.

Reggie Washington, bass / Catherine Russel & Georgia Heers, vocals / Sharrif Simmons, spoken word / Pierrick Pédron, sax / David Gilmore, guitar / Grégory Privat, piano & keyboards / Gene Lake, drums / Sonny Troupé, drums & gwo ka / DJ Grazzhoppa, turntables

Brought together by bassist Reggie Washington (seen with great soul and jazz artists), this intercontinental collective, featuring musicians from the United States, the Caribbean, and Africa, draws inspiration from multiple styles: hip-hop, jazz, funk, rock, jungle, blues, Caribbean and African jazz.

The Project

Music has rarely offered such a beautiful synergy dedicated to a cause that we know is more fundamental than ever in our troubled times. This music is beautiful, perhaps even one of the most beautiful imaginable.

ESSENTIAL. If one had to sum up the work undertaken by the Black Lives collective in one word, it would be this. Resolutely humanist, this large ensemble of varying dimensions, gathered around bassist Reggie Washington, is working towards the fulfillment of a dream—a utopia, some would say—as much musical as it is socially oriented. Here are musicians from the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, and Europe, united by a common language in a fight for equality and justice.

The strength of Black Lives lies in its ability to unite, in order to better transcend them, the energies of seasoned artists who know how to put their talent and personality at the service of the group. Each one can also take turns assuming the role of leader, offering the collective their own story, itself rich in encounters (Miles Davis, Meshell Ndegéocello, Roy Hargrove, Cassandra Wilson, Steve Coleman, Wayne Shorter, Esperanza Spalding, etc.). The love story told by Black Lives Matter is underway: this second phase, full of generosity and excitement, is also a promise for the times to come. We can't wait to experience it on stage, up close with the musicians and their vibrancy... With our hearts pounding and our fists raised high!

Denis Desassis

See us at the Gaume Jazz Festival 2025!